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Iran explains latest nuclear deals with Russia

Iran has signed two deals with Russia in nuclear sphere, including the production of stable isotopes and nuclear fuel, Behrooz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said.

According to him, only Russia, the US and the UK-based Urenco Group are able to produce stable isotopes, IRNA reported Jan. 27.

Kamalvandi, who also serves as the deputy head of the AEOI for international, legal and parliamentary affairs, and Russian Rosatom’s head Alexey Likhachev signed two agreements of cooperation in Moscow on Jan. 19.

Kamalvandi said Iran is able to produce 20-percent enriched uranium fuel, but the process is very complicated and Russia would provide a nuclear fuel production road map to Iran based on the agreement.

Iran’s major 1-gigawatt (GW) power plant Bushehr uses 3.5-percent enriched nuclear fuel. Iran plans to construct more nuclear power plants of the same scale in coming years with Russia.

Russia has committed itself to providing the needed nuclear fuel for these plants for 10 years.

Iran also has a 5-MW Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), which consumes 20-percent enriched nuclear fuel.

Kamalvandi said that Russia would construct two new power plants at Bushehr’s scale for Iran after getting 185 million euros of advance payment.

He said that during his visit to Moscow, the time table of construction of new plants was negotiated, but didn’t give further information.